knitting mill (2)

In my last post I was having difficulties with my newly purchased knitting mill. I contacted the seller and seemingly double knit / 8 ply yarn is too thick and she suggested 4 ply / fingering. I also looked at a tutorial on you tube, see here - so thanks Helen (who writes the Midget Gem Quilts blog) for suggesting that. No problems with the 4 ply and I got it going first time.....

As the cord gets longer, you have to move the weight further up, the tutorial shows how to do this by using a clothes peg. It's a pity the manufacturer hadn't come up with something.

The cord grows very quickly and would be a good way to use up leftover sock yarn. Fluffy yarn or yarn that splits easy wouldn't be very successful, but I was all chuffed I got it working in the end.
Now having mastered the technique, my next post will be ideas that you can use the i-cord for.

Till next time, Ali.

knitting mill

I do like a bit of i-cord either done on two double pointed needles or on my knitting nancy. I've seen i-cord machines and thought I would like to have a go in case I ever needed to make vast amounts of knitted cord. So with labour saving in mind I ordered my Prym Knitting Mill online.

After reading the instructions several times I had a go........then another go..............then another go. I don't know what I have been doing wrong but I ended up with more knots and tangles than cord.
Even after a cuppa and a few chocolate bickies and then a recap of the instructions I still could not get it to work. Aaaaaaaarrgggh!

If anyone has any tips or hints or think they know where I'm going wrong I'd love to hear, but in the meantime I'll be using the tried and trusted methods and I find the repetition of these techniques very therapeutic.
Thanks for stopping to read my blog, Ali.

easter pattern

I have just completed my latest pattern a chick and bunny Terry's chocolate orange cover. A Terry's chocolate orange is not just for Christmas and now you can make it even more Eastery by knitting up an Easter themed cover.

The main part of the cover is knitted in the round, with dpns and smaller pieces are knitted flat with two needles. Some sewing is required to assemble. The cover is knitted with chunky wool, so knits up quickly and smaller pieces are knit with dk/8ply yarn. The flower for the bunny uses scraps of 4ply/fingering.
The pattern is for sale on my etsy shop, click here, or my Ravelry Store, click here. I also have a free lamb chocolate orange cover available on my blog, click here

Bye for now, Ali.